Dorothy L. Graves
Passed 02/13/2022
Dorothy Lyons-Graves’ Life Story
Mrs. Dorothy Laverne Lyons-Graves was born to Sarah Harris-Lyons and Charles Harris Lyons on January 24, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia. She transitioned on Sunday, February 13, 2022. She was the third child. She graduated from Booker T. Washington High School, in Atlanta, Georgia on June 6, 1947.
After high school, the family moved to Maple Avenue in Hempstead Long Island, NY., where she met and married (Sherman Conrad Graves II from Glen Rogers, West Virginia) at Mercer County Courthouse, Trenton, New Jersey on July 23, 1949. At that time her husband, Sherman was in the U.S. Army and stationed at McGuire Air Base, Fort Dix, New Jersey. Out of their union she had four children: Sherman, Steven, Teresa and Brian.
Shortly after marriage, Dorothy began living an adventurous life as a military wife. Her husband Sherman was reassigned to Offutt Field, Omaha, Nebraska, and away they went. That’s where two of their sons were born in 1951 (Sherman III and 1953 Steven Charles). Five years later, the family was then shipped off to Ramey Air Force Base in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, where their third child, Teresa was born in 1955. Next stop was back to the states to Suffolk County Army Air Field, West Hampton Beach, NY where they lived in Riverhead, Long Island, NY.
Dorothy continued to stay stateside in Hempstead and Brentwood Long Island while her husband was overseas. When he returned in 1962, Dorothy and the family happily moved to Langley Air Force Base, Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Headquarters located in Hampton, Virginia. There they both started a hobby of bowling in a league with other military couples. They loved entertaining card games such as pinochle and poker. But her favorite pass time was playing bingo on the base at the NCO Club and she loved to dance. Anytime company would come over, Dorothy would ask her kids to dance with her and do the latest dances (twist, jerk, mash potato, and the swing).
In 1966, Dorothy and the family moved to Henrietta, New York, suburbs of Rochester, NY after her husband retired 20 years from active duty as Senior Master Sergeant to join Xerox Corporation as Manager of the scientific data center. Their last child Brian Xavier (named after Malcom X) was born in 1967. As a career military wife, Dorothy worked various jobs in the area of retail, food service, administrative, cosmetology and transportation. Her most exciting job is when she worked at the Georgia State Capitol in Atlanta in 1975, as a front desk receptionist while Jimmy Carter was governor. Her love for doing hair led her to obtaining a certificate at Atlanta Area Technology College School of Cosmetology.
Every year the family would travel to Hempstead, New York to visit her mom, sister and brother. Her sister Sarah Mae had six sons which soon became like brothers instead of first cousins. To help her children acclimate to living in the suburbs of Henrietta, New York, mom joined Jack and Jill of America, Rochester, NY Chapter, Eastern Region in 1968-1971. Dorothy and her husband were advent bowlers. While living at Langley Air Force Base in Hampton, Virginia, she was on a bowling league with other military wives. and then in Georgia at Fort McPherson. Fishing was another favorite of the family. Which is why her husband, Sherman II, after retiring, chose to work at Xerox Corp in Rochester, NY to be near the five finger lakes. Dorothy would pack up the kids and make sandwiches because Dad for sure would have us fishing all morning and night long.
Because she wanted family to know each other, Dorothy organized the first Lyons’ family reunion, hosted in 1986 at the downtown Ramada Inn in Atlanta, GA.
Dorothy became a widow in December 1975. She leaves to cherish her memories, daughter Teresa and son Brian Graves, grandchildren Christine and Steven II, Devin Graves, Sherman IV and Jacqueline Graves, step grandsons/ daughter: Ezra, Rashaad, Jamal, and Courtney. In-laws, Denise, Sandy, Cheryl, Wanda, and JoAnn Graves. 11 great grandchildren, her niece Charlotte Lyons and her nephews: Joel, Wesley (deceased) Frederick, Bruce, Charles, and Marvin (deceased) Berryhill. Cousins: Kirk and Norman Lyons, Jr., Ralph Lyons, Wilfred Farquharson and in-laws, cousins and friends of family.
Dorothy was preceded in death by her mother and father, her husband, sons Sherman and Steven, her sister Sarah Mae and brother Charles (Bubba) and other cousins.